A place for all the various components of our reading program (because it looks like there will be TONS of information).
100 Million Words Campaign! Sustained reading program for High School
Collection Development: fiction vs. non-fiction, suggested titles for our booklist
Collaboration: using the clubs and sports teams to create displays, asking teachers to post a flyer in their room stating what they are reading
Promotional ideas: booktalks on the morning announcements, 'caught' reading, contests
Timeline
Background/Philosophy Info
Developmental milestones
Partnerships with public libraries?
Sponsorships/Donations
Budget
Adminstration/Clerical duties?
What else??
How do we equate magazines, audiobooks, and monographs?
How serious are we about the "reward" concert at the end? Maybe we could list the State Theater in Falls Church as a key partner if we're thinking of keeping this in Fairfax County (or the Birchmere??) Both venues get good, cutting-edge acts.
Also, do we still want to have the winning subschool get passes to Six Flags for the day? >>Tina & Elise - would Kings Dominion or Busch Gardens make more sense since they're in VA and not MD, even though Six Flags is technically closer?<<
Demographics (Tina)
Our target high school demographics will match those of Fairfax High School, which is average for Fairfax County, Virginia – meaning, there are some high schools with greater diversity and some high schools that are less diverse; Fairfax High School is right in the middle. The number of students is 2,100. Relevant percentages as follows: ESOL – 7% Limited English Profiency – 17% Special Education – 11% Free/Reduced Lunch – 24% Ethnicity: Asian – 24% Black – 9% Hispanic – 16% White – 45% Other – 6%
Book Equivalencies--Rebekah
So the question is how do we determine how much the kids need to read?
From my looking around, the "average" young adult novel is between 50,000 to 80,000. (Clearly there are many exceptions, like the later Harry Potter books.) A simple way to determine the word count of a book is to multiply the number of pages by 250, which assumes that most standard books have approximately 250 word per page. Valerie mentioned that 16 books might be a reasonable goal for the academic year (4 books/quarter), and she was right on the money. If we "suggest" 16 books, it's reasonable to assume about 250 pages each with 250 words on each page, giving us our 1,000,000 words. Of course, we want to encourage pleasure reading of all sorts as well as audiobook listening so I've listed some equivalencies that I think are appropriate. I've tried to keep an open mind, thinking that our goal is to simply increase pleasure reading. There's no doubt that not all magazines are created equal. Wired is much more substantive than a dirt bike magazine, but I'm pretty sure we don't want to get into those comparisons. My numbers below are arbitrary; however, I believe that lots of rules and formulas do not support our goal. So the following is my approach:
Goal: Read 1,000,000 words for pleasure this year--16 books will do it!
5 magazines=1 book
5 newspapers=1 book
Unabridged audio book=1 book
500-page book=2 books
750-page book=3 books
I guess we have to acknowledge that we won't have a checks and balances in place to ensure that the students will have actually read what they they report they are reading. Any kind of assessment would seem to defeat the purpose of pleasure reading, right? However, as our own assessment, we should be able to check circulation records to compare the number of materials checked out this year against past years.
Developmental Milestones for High School Students--Rebekah
High school students find themselves caught between childhood and adulthood. As they mature throughout the four years of high school, they experience contradictory impulses. While their self-esteem is increasing, they have a tendency to engage in risk-taking behaviors that can be dangerous to themselves and others. As high school students search for the “real me” and an adult identity, there is an increasing integration of varied self perceptions into a more complex sense of self. As student transition into adults, teachers modeling reading for pleasure may have an especially strong and lasting impact.
Most students in high school should be in the formal operations stage or transitioning from concrete operations into formal operations as defined by Jean Piaget. The formal operations stage is characterized by the ability to apply logical reasoning to abstract ideas as well as concrete objects and situations. Emerging abilities at this stage are essential for advanced reasoning in math and science. Some examples of cognitive development include the following:
· Logical reasoning about abstract, hypothetical, and contrary-to-fact ideas · Proportional reasoning · Formulation of multiple hypotheses · Separation and control of variables · Idealism
Notwithstanding that the nature of the 1,000,000,000 Word Campaign is oriented toward promoting pleasure reading, and that some students will settle for material that comfortably falls at or below their reading levels, the encouragement to read 16 books in 1 year will certainly nudge some students to stretch and read material above their level, which will probably fall within their zone of proximal development as defined by Vygotsky. -- I really like that!
In regards to psychosocial development, Erikson’s places high school students in the identity versus role confusion stage, in which adolescents ponder the roles they will play in the adult world. As they eventually achieve a sense of identity, these same students move into the intimacy versus isolation stage in which they are either willing to make sacrifices or compromises for the sake of long-term commitments to others or otherwise suffer a sense of isolation.
LOVE the poster Valerie! It looks so professional!
Booktalks in Classrooms
Booktalks will be given in the English Department classrooms on a rotating basis during the course of the Reading Challenge. The SLMS will schedule five minutes of booktalking on popular and age-appropriate materials at the end of English classes. Care must be taken to ensure that all students are given equal access to this service and that teachers are made aware that these booktalks are for pleasure reading only. Booktalks that address curriculum should be scheduled separate from these sessions. Envision two booktalk programs being done on each school day outside of exam periods and study days, to be scheduled between the two SLMSs. Clarify for me Valerie, does this mean that SLM will booktalk to two different classroom each school day?) I was thinking so, yes. If we have over 2000 students in (say) 25 person classes that means a student will get a book talk in their English class once every 45 school days. If we have practicum students helping with the tallies, then they could assist further into the school year with the booktalks so these were done more frequently. HOWEVER, my observation in the high schools has been (and Kelly can chime in with her thoughts) that our laboratory-like experience with booktalks has limited relevance to the actual in-school 'performance' of said booktalks with this age group. I'd want the practicum students to see it done a few times before attempting it themselves, in other words. . .
Club/Team Weeks
Each week during this Reading Challenge, a different student club or team will be responsible for sponsoring a week of reading. Working with student leadership and faculty sponsors, the library display case will highlight the group’s accomplishments and showcase replicas of materials their members recommend.
Logistics: In the week prior to their assigned week, club members hold their meeting in the library and, using the OPAC and librarian, select books and other materials to highlight that showcase their group’s activity-related interests. The librarian will prepare a short list to stimulate their brainstorming prior to their arrival. Sports teams should be encouraged to use the library for brief team–related strategizing prior to book selection. [Note for SLMS: maintain and save the bibliography developed by the students for use in future years, post it on the library website, and place the list in a notebook in the library.]
Resources: Color scanner and printer to generate large-scale copies of materials covers picked by each club or team (Should printer ink and supplies be a line item in budget, or will this fall under marketing materials?) Probably, just to be safe.
Student on the Street Interviews
Using the library’s Flip video cameras, A/V club students, school newspaper students, and those studying marketing and business will interview fellow students about what they are reading and why they like the book/magazine and what they find appealing about the particular genre. Videos will be posted on the library website.
Logistics: Need support of faculty advisors and teachers for these groups. They will be our core group for this activity throughout the school year. Will need to provide training to the students at the outset (partner with the ITRT). Make sure SLMC has full copies of video/photo permission forms for all students in school or access to the Main Office’s database about which students may not have their images used in school-related publicity or used on the school website.
Resources: Operational Flip Video cameras (minimum of 2 set aside for this project COST = $149/ea if we need to add or replace), HDMI cables (at least 2 COST = $14/ea)
Look Who We Caught Reading. . .
Catch students reading (anything) outside of the classroom and take their picture. Photos are incorporated into an Animoto slideshow running on the school’s large announcement screens. The same slideshow is posted to the library’s webpage. Students caught reading are able to “turn themselves in” at the library circulation desk for a prize once their image has been spotted in the slideshow.
Logistics: Envision having a library staff member (SLMS or clerk) roam the halls once a week during JAG Time and during before/after school times to collect the pictures. Make sure SLMC has full copies of video/photo permission forms for all students in school or access to the Main Office’s database about which students may not have their images used in school-related publicity or used on the school website. Ensure ITRT uses the new slideshows as they become available so that students do not lose interest in being caught and in collecting their prize.
Resources: Operational digital camera, education subscription to Animoto up to date, prizes
N.B.: I'm going to do a sample Animoto for this. We should be able to put a url in the word document for interested students (or Dr. W.) to view.
NEW: Lunchtime Lounging in the Library: In addition to the faculty-modeling we see in the cafeteria, let's open up the library during lunchtime (students come in anyway. . .). Make it really comfortable (almost stealing that book nook idea. . .) and let students just read in a quiet place in peace.
FACULTY OUTREACH (Tina)
Work with JAG time teachers to make sure there is a bin of reading material* available in their classroom during JAG time, and that JAG time teachers are encouraging students to read during JAG time if they aren’t otherwise studying or meeting with teachers.
Ask all faculty and staff members to browse the library (or submit a list) for 3 books they would recommend to students; then prepare “staff favorite” shelf tags with blurbs from faculty/staff member highlighting what’s great about the book (similar to the way wine stores or book stores have “staff favorite” tags)
Set up a reading table in the lunchroom, to be staffed by a faculty member during each lunch period. The reading table would have a basket of reading material* for kids to grab and read if they don’t have anything with them; the staff member would be reading, and the table would have a colorful sign that said something like “ask me what I’m reading”. The faculty member would be encouraged to have conversations with students about what they are reading, and to promote the program. The goal would be each faculty member “works” one lunch period during the school year. ALA Graphics has a YALSA-oriented dry erase board sign "Read for the Fun of It" - includes an easel and is 8 1/2" X 11" -- $15 each. It isn't themed to a particular ALA event, so we could reuse them in the library at the end of the year. . .
*May need to have collection drive to gather materials for the JAG time and lunchtime reading baskets, as this material would not be library material – ie, would not need to be “checked out”. What do you think about having bins around the school with this non-library "free reading" material? Not just in the cafeteria or classrooms.--Good idea!
What about coordinating with the PTSA? At our local schools, parents would step up to volunteer, donate books, and some funding might be offered.
External Partners for 100 Million Words Campaign (Tina) 1. Contact local service organizations for support. Support can be provided in a variety of ways: · financial support for cost of the program, including the performance finale and for intermediate prizes · donations from businesses of members, as prizes (dinner for two, free movie passes, etc.) or in-kind donations that support the campaign (such as banners or printed material) · Volunteers for planning and working major events such as finale performance
2. Contact local news organizations for coverage of the campaign, to generate excitement and donations: · Community newspapers · Metro desk of largest city newspaper · Local news and community oriented radio stations · Local news channels · Cable channels operated by school system or public access channels
3. Partner with local branches of public library · Have young adult librarians come to the school to give booktalks · Have library create a section of showcased reading material for student patrons · Include campaign information in library newsletters and website
4. Get support of local business for prize and cash donations as well as guidance/advice. Request a “% of proceeds” day or night at restaurants, bookstores and other retail. o Restaurants o Movie theaters o Bookstores o Gyms o Doctor, dentist offices o Law firms, accounting firms o Video production and editing companies o PR firms o Advertising agencies o Graphic Design firms
5. Partner with local universities that have library schools (in this area, Univ of Maryland, Catholic Univ and UTenn DE, at minimum) · Try to get a student to do a practicum supporting the campaign · Get MLS students in YA Literature courses (and other relevant courses) to come to the school and give booktalks
6. Partner with local university and community colleges Contact the faculty members in education departments. Get students in education program to support campaign. They can volunteer in library to work with clubs, assist with page count tracking, etc.
7. Contact local sports teams. Try to get an athlete to come to the school and give booktalk, or donate to support campaign.
8. Work with local school board member to promote awareness of campaign in community.
This was one of the short articles in an online newsletter that Fairfax County Public Schools sends to parents....It highlights another way to reach potential partners.(Tina)
FCPS Invites Businesses, Community Organizations to Explore Five Ways to Partner With Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools is encouraging local businesses and community organizations to check out five ways to partner with the school system in an effort to support students individually and on a larger scale.
FCPS announces the Give Me Five! initiative, offering a number of ways for businesses, organizations, and individuals to benefit students and schools:
Mentor a child. Mentors commit to working with a student for one hour, once a week, throughout the school year and are placed with a student close to the mentors' homes or offices. Training and support is offered to all potential mentors.
Partner with a school. A business or organization can establish a partnership with one school and have the option to expand the relationship to mutually benefit both partners. Some schools have had the same business partner for more than 20 years.
Serve as a systemwide partner. Partnering at the school system level can affect students throughout FCPS and often targets a specific curricular focus that can enhance a business’s workforce development.
Support an existing partnership. Individuals, companies, and organizations can donate items, volunteer, or provide funding to any number of existing partnerships and programs.
Develop or advance an educational initiative. Initiatives come from inside and outside the school system, support cutting-edge learning, and help develop future employees.
For additional information about partnering with FCPS, contact Jay Garant at 571-423-1209 or jpgarant@fcps.edu. For more information about serving as a mentor, contact Shelley Prince at 571-423-4403 or rrprince@fcps.edu.
Visit http://www.fcps.edu/cco/bcp/index.htm for more information about business and community partnerships in FCPS. Video: Five Ways to Partner With FCPS
I forgot to ask -- why 10th grade? I am not in any way objecting to it or suggesting we pick another grade-level, but we need to give Welch our rationale.
Standard 1: Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge
1.1.1: Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real-world connection for using this process in own life. Grade 10 Benchmark: *With guidance use an inquiry-based process for expanding content knowledge, connecting academic learning with the real world and pursuing personal interests.
Standard 2: Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge t new situation, and create new knowledge.
2.1.3: Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real-world situation, and further investigation. Grade 10 Benchmark: *Apply strategies for making personal and real world connections with information.
Standard 3: Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.
3.1.2: Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners. Grade 10 Benchmark: *Seek ideas and opinions from others.
Standard 4: Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.
4.1.1: Read, view and listen for pleasure and personal growth. Grade 10 Benchmarks: *Read, listen to, and view information in a variety of format to explore new ideas, form opinions, and solve problems. *Seek and locate information about personal interests, applying the same criteria and strategies used for academic information seeking.
4.1.2: Read widely and fluently to make connections with self, the world, and previous reading. Grade 10 Benchmarks: *Recognize and evaluate the author’s point of view and how it affects that text; consider and evaluate alternative perspectives. *Read books that connect to real-world issues. *Recognize similarities and differences among authors writing on the same theme. *Recognize how their own points of view influence perspectives on text.
4.1.3: Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres. Grade 10 Benchmarks: *Assess the emotional impact of specific works on eh reader of viewer. *Apply ideas gained from literary and artistic works to their own lives.
4.1.4: Seek information for personal learning in a variety of formats and genres. Grade 10 Benchmarks: *Select print, nonprint, and digital materials based on personal interests and knowledge of authors. *Select resources on topics of interest at both comfortable and challenging levels of comprehension *Read a variety of fiction and nonfiction, including works of international authors and authors outside students own cultures. *Set reading goals and maintain personal reading lists.
4.1.5: Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience. Grade 10 Benchmarks: *Use context and graphic clues to aid understanding *Compare new ideas and understandings to future needs and interests that relate to college, careers, and personal lives.
4.1.8: Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning. Grade 10 Benchmark: *Express their own ideas through creative products in a variety of formats.
Collection Development recommendations--Kelly
Million Words Project
Collection Development recommendations
TOTAL COST: $4526.61
MAGAZINES (www.magazines.com)
$431.33 total
Sports Illustrated
66 issues for $39.95 (weekly)
Peterson’s Hunting
11 issues for $18.75
Teen Ink
10 issues for $35.00 (seasonally)
Teen Vogue
20 issues for $10.00 (seasonally)
Teen Voices
2 issues for $11.75 (2 issues per year)
Justine
6 issues for $17.95 (bi-monthly)
Skateboarding
12 issues for $16.97 (monthly)
PC Gamer
12 issues for $25.00 (monthly)
Amazing Spiderman
36 issues for $59.97 (seasonally 1 year = 36 issues)
156 books/year (13 books/month) $2092.20 Advanced Readers, Grades 6-9 Advanced Readers + Fantasy Middle/High Graphic Novels Mystery Middle/High Nonfiction Middle/High Sports Middle/High Young Adults Young Adults + History High High Interest High Paperbacks High Mature Young Adults
Starting collection, playaways and manga from Follett
96 items for $1943.08
An abundance of Katherines -- Green, John. Speak, 2006
13.56
Bad boy: a memoir -- Myers, Walter Dean. HarperTempest, 2001
13.86
The battle of the Labyrinth -- Riordan, Rick. Disney Hyperion Books, 2008
12.26
Black Cat. Volume 1, The man called black cat -- Yabuki, Kentaro. Viz Media, 2006
5.19
Black Cat. Volume 10, Big changes -- Yabuki, Kentaro. Viz Media, 2007
5.20
Black Cat. Volume 2, Creed -- Yabuki, Kentaro. VIZ Media, 2006
5.20
Black Cat. Volume 3, What the living can do -- Yabuki, Kentaro. Viz Media, 2006
5.20
Black Cat. Volume 4, One-day darling -- Yabuki, Kentaro. Viz Media, 2006
5.20
Black Cat. Volume 5, Spark of revolution -- Yabuki, Kentaro. Viz Media, 2006
5.20
Black Cat. Volume 6, The price of happiness -- Yabuki, Kentaro. Viz Media, 2007
5.20
Black Cat. Volume 7, Time for vengeance -- Yabuki, Kentaro. Viz Media, 2007
5.20
Black Cat. Volume 8, Cerberus strikes -- Yabuki, Kentaro. Viz Media, 2007
5.20
Black Cat. Volume 9, Showdown at the old castle -- Yabuki, Kentaro. Viz Media, 2007
5.20
Bloody Jack: being an account of the curious adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, ship's boy -- Meyer, L. A. Harcourt, 2002
12.96
Bluish: a novel -- Hamilton, Virginia. Scholastic, 1999
10.96
Book of a thousand days -- Hale, Shannon. Bloomsbury, 2007
13.86
The book of time -- Prevost, Guillaume. Scholastic, 2007
11.86
The compound -- Bodeen, S. A. Square Fish, 2008
13.86
Curse of the blue tattoo : being an account of the misadventures of Jacky Faber, midshipman and fine lady -- Meyer, L. A. Harcourt, 2004
12.26
A day no pigs would die -- Peck, Robert Newton. Random House Sprinter Books, 1972
11.96
The disreputable history of Frankie Landau-Banks : a novel -- Lockhart, E. Disney/Hyperion Books, 2008
12.96
Does my head look big in this? -- Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Scholastic, 2005
5.84
The dream bearer -- Myers, Walter Dean. HarperTrophy, 2003
A wrinkle in time [electronic resource] -- L'Engle, Madeleine. Findaway World, Listening Library, Ohio: New York: 2007.
39.99
Timeline for 1,000,000,000 Word Campaign--Rebekah
March 2011 Get commitment of school administrative team Contact local universities to set up practicums for 2011/2012 academic year Begin making request to staff, student, and parents for book donations to supply reading bins. (Could we ask the PTSA to coordinate this? It strikes me that random books dropped in could lead to some "interesting" items and if we shift the burden of responsibility onto PTSA, we limit our liability. . .)
April and May of 2011 Contact Potential External Partners to line up support and contributions needed for next year. · Public libraries · Theme Park—Discounted or bulk rate passes for May 2012 -- or just ask for the park to be donated during a day in May after SOLs and AP tests? Continue making requests to staff, faculty, and parents for book donations to supply reading bins. Look into applications for tracking word counts Catch students and staff members reading and photograph—to be used in first Animoto slideshow? Identify a couple clubs or teams to take on Club/Team Week for the first few weeks of school. Could we get the Football team to be 1st or 2nd on deck? Speak with core teachers and staff (ITRT, Marketing, English) that are necessary for the success of the program to ensure they buy-in and are willing to lend support Communicate with JAG time teachers (If we follow Fairfax County's model, these would be US, the instructional aides, and music/sports faculty and staff. We'll also want to talk with School Security about their role.) Place collection development book order
August 2011—Before School Work Days Contact external partners as necessary. Ensure sponsorship is acknowledged and promoted. Confirm news coverage scheduling. Generate marketing materials, include sponsor information Continue making requests to staff, faculty, and parents for book donations to supply reading bins. Generate Grand prize nomination rules and forms (What's our budget for the live event? Do we want to get donations for performer's fees from local music venues - who may want something from us -- or do we ask a large local business, like a bank, for $X to cover it?) Produce tracking plan to track the amount students read Kick off meeting with administration and staff to introduce 100,000,000 Word Campaign Start the staff favorites effort. Create a graphic tracker for each academy for the entry way of the school Subscribe to Animoto (Animoto generates a cost after talking with the school in question. I'll email Sarah Searles and ask for her school's billed cost.) Create word tracking tables or wiki pages Perhaps create the first slide show using staff members or pictures taken from Spring 2011? Ensure student media permission forms are turned in. Ensure all technology equipment is functioning properly.
Ongoing Activities throughout 2011/2012 Academic Year Continue making requests to staff, faculty, and parents for book donations to supply reading bins. Reminding and following up with clubs and teams about their Club/Team Week Practicum students tracking word counts, and perhaps the most popular materials? Booktalks to English classes Animoto slide shows Student on the Street videos Arranging for “celebrities” to share their favorite books or importance of reading in their lives Practicum student training and involvement
September 2011 100,000,000 Words Campaign Kick Off Jump start the grand-prize nomination campaign. (which students sit on this nomination committee?) Encourage staff signups for the lunchtime reading table. Contact clubs and teams about Club/Team Weeks Schedule with English Department teachers to schedule book talks. Schedule ITRT training on Flip Cams with A/V club students, school newspaper students, and those studying marketing and business Continue making requests to staff, faculty, and parents for book donations to supply reading bins.
October Vote on live event nominations (process to avoid ballot stuffing)
November 2011 Schedule live event winner or runner up
April 2012 Planning for live event
May 2012 Planning for live event Send out permission slips for academy field trip to theme park Tabulate and announce winning academy
100 Million Words Campaign! Sustained reading program for High School
Demographics (Tina)
Our target high school demographics will match those of Fairfax High School, which is average for Fairfax County, Virginia – meaning, there are some high schools with greater diversity and some high schools that are less diverse; Fairfax High School is right in the middle. The number of students is 2,100. Relevant percentages as follows:
ESOL – 7%
Limited English Profiency – 17%
Special Education – 11%
Free/Reduced Lunch – 24%
Ethnicity:
Asian – 24%
Black – 9%
Hispanic – 16%
White – 45%
Other – 6%
Book Equivalencies--Rebekah
So the question is how do we determine how much the kids need to read?
From my looking around, the "average" young adult novel is between 50,000 to 80,000. (Clearly there are many exceptions, like the later Harry Potter books.) A simple way to determine the word count of a book is to multiply the number of pages by 250, which assumes that most standard books have approximately 250 word per page. Valerie mentioned that 16 books might be a reasonable goal for the academic year (4 books/quarter), and she was right on the money. If we "suggest" 16 books, it's reasonable to assume about 250 pages each with 250 words on each page, giving us our 1,000,000 words. Of course, we want to encourage pleasure reading of all sorts as well as audiobook listening so I've listed some equivalencies that I think are appropriate. I've tried to keep an open mind, thinking that our goal is to simply increase pleasure reading. There's no doubt that not all magazines are created equal. Wired is much more substantive than a dirt bike magazine, but I'm pretty sure we don't want to get into those comparisons. My numbers below are arbitrary; however, I believe that lots of rules and formulas do not support our goal. So the following is my approach:
Goal: Read 1,000,000 words for pleasure this year--16 books will do it!
I guess we have to acknowledge that we won't have a checks and balances in place to ensure that the students will have actually read what they they report they are reading. Any kind of assessment would seem to defeat the purpose of pleasure reading, right? However, as our own assessment, we should be able to check circulation records to compare the number of materials checked out this year against past years.
Developmental Milestones for High School Students--Rebekah
High school students find themselves caught between childhood and adulthood. As they mature throughout the four years of high school, they experience contradictory impulses. While their self-esteem is increasing, they have a tendency to engage in risk-taking behaviors that can be dangerous to themselves and others. As high school students search for the “real me” and an adult identity, there is an increasing integration of varied self perceptions into a more complex sense of self. As student transition into adults, teachers modeling reading for pleasure may have an especially strong and lasting impact.
Most students in high school should be in the formal operations stage or transitioning from concrete operations into formal operations as defined by Jean Piaget. The formal operations stage is characterized by the ability to apply logical reasoning to abstract ideas as well as concrete objects and situations. Emerging abilities at this stage are essential for advanced reasoning in math and science. Some examples of cognitive development include the following:
· Logical reasoning about abstract, hypothetical, and contrary-to-fact ideas
· Proportional reasoning
· Formulation of multiple hypotheses
· Separation and control of variables
· Idealism
Notwithstanding that the nature of the 1,000,000,000 Word Campaign is oriented toward promoting pleasure reading, and that some students will settle for material that comfortably falls at or below their reading levels, the encouragement to read 16 books in 1 year will certainly nudge some students to stretch and read material above their level, which will probably fall within their zone of proximal development as defined by Vygotsky. -- I really like that!
In regards to psychosocial development, Erikson’s places high school students in the identity versus role confusion stage, in which adolescents ponder the roles they will play in the adult world. As they eventually achieve a sense of identity, these same students move into the intimacy versus isolation stage in which they are either willing to make sacrifices or compromises for the sake of long-term commitments to others or otherwise suffer a sense of isolation.
Ormrod, Jeanne E. 2011. Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 7th edition. Pearson Education, Inc.: Boston.
On-Going Activities to Generate Enthusiasm
How do we keep the students motivated during the program to move their toward their goal?===Sample Kick-Off Program Poster (in pptx):
LOVE the poster Valerie! It looks so professional!
Booktalks in Classrooms
Booktalks will be given in the English Department classrooms on a rotating basis during the course of the Reading Challenge. The SLMS will schedule five minutes of booktalking on popular and age-appropriate materials at the end of English classes. Care must be taken to ensure that all students are given equal access to this service and that teachers are made aware that these booktalks are for pleasure reading only. Booktalks that address curriculum should be scheduled separate from these sessions. Envision two booktalk programs being done on each school day outside of exam periods and study days, to be scheduled between the two SLMSs.Clarify for me Valerie, does this mean that SLM will booktalk to two different classroom each school day?) I was thinking so, yes. If we have over 2000 students in (say) 25 person classes that means a student will get a book talk in their English class once every 45 school days. If we have practicum students helping with the tallies, then they could assist further into the school year with the booktalks so these were done more frequently. HOWEVER, my observation in the high schools has been (and Kelly can chime in with her thoughts) that our laboratory-like experience with booktalks has limited relevance to the actual in-school 'performance' of said booktalks with this age group. I'd want the practicum students to see it done a few times before attempting it themselves, in other words. . .
Club/Team Weeks
Each week during this Reading Challenge, a different student club or team will be responsible for sponsoring a week of reading. Working with student leadership and faculty sponsors, the library display case will highlight the group’s accomplishments and showcase replicas of materials their members recommend.Logistics: In the week prior to their assigned week, club members hold their meeting in the library and, using the OPAC and librarian, select books and other materials to highlight that showcase their group’s activity-related interests. The librarian will prepare a short list to stimulate their brainstorming prior to their arrival. Sports teams should be encouraged to use the library for brief team–related strategizing prior to book selection. [Note for SLMS: maintain and save the bibliography developed by the students for use in future years, post it on the library website, and place the list in a notebook in the library.]
Resources: Color scanner and printer to generate large-scale copies of materials covers picked by each club or team (Should printer ink and supplies be a line item in budget, or will this fall under marketing materials?) Probably, just to be safe.
Student on the Street Interviews
Using the library’s Flip video cameras, A/V club students, school newspaper students, and those studying marketing and business will interview fellow students about what they are reading and why they like the book/magazine and what they find appealing about the particular genre. Videos will be posted on the library website.Logistics: Need support of faculty advisors and teachers for these groups. They will be our core group for this activity throughout the school year. Will need to provide training to the students at the outset (partner with the ITRT). Make sure SLMC has full copies of video/photo permission forms for all students in school or access to the Main Office’s database about which students may not have their images used in school-related publicity or used on the school website.
Resources: Operational Flip Video cameras (minimum of 2 set aside for this project COST = $149/ea if we need to add or replace), HDMI cables (at least 2 COST = $14/ea)
Look Who We Caught Reading. . .
Catch students reading (anything) outside of the classroom and take their picture. Photos are incorporated into an Animoto slideshow running on the school’s large announcement screens. The same slideshow is posted to the library’s webpage. Students caught reading are able to “turn themselves in” at the library circulation desk for a prize once their image has been spotted in the slideshow.Logistics: Envision having a library staff member (SLMS or clerk) roam the halls once a week during JAG Time and during before/after school times to collect the pictures. Make sure SLMC has full copies of video/photo permission forms for all students in school or access to the Main Office’s database about which students may not have their images used in school-related publicity or used on the school website. Ensure ITRT uses the new slideshows as they become available so that students do not lose interest in being caught and in collecting their prize.
Resources: Operational digital camera, education subscription to Animoto up to date, prizes
N.B.: I'm going to do a sample Animoto for this. We should be able to put a url in the word document for interested students (or Dr. W.) to view.
NEW: Lunchtime Lounging in the Library: In addition to the faculty-modeling we see in the cafeteria, let's open up the library during lunchtime (students come in anyway. . .). Make it really comfortable (almost stealing that book nook idea. . .) and let students just read in a quiet place in peace.
FACULTY OUTREACH (Tina)
*May need to have collection drive to gather materials for the JAG time and lunchtime reading baskets, as this material would not be library material – ie, would not need to be “checked out”. What do you think about having bins around the school with this non-library "free reading" material? Not just in the cafeteria or classrooms.--Good idea!
What about coordinating with the PTSA? At our local schools, parents would step up to volunteer, donate books, and some funding might be offered.
External Partners for 100 Million Words Campaign (Tina)
1. Contact local service organizations for support. Support can be provided in a variety of ways:
· financial support for cost of the program, including the performance finale and for intermediate prizes
· donations from businesses of members, as prizes (dinner for two, free movie passes, etc.) or in-kind donations that support the campaign (such as banners or printed material)
· Volunteers for planning and working major events such as finale performance
Examples of local service organizations:
· Kiwanis Club - http://sites.kiwanis.org/Kiwanis/en/home.aspx
· Rotary Club - http://www.rotary.org/en/Pages/ridefault.aspx
· Lions Club - http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/index.php
· Optimist Club - http://www.optimist.org/
· (Local) Chamber of Commerce - http://www.chamberofcommerce.com/
2. Contact local news organizations for coverage of the campaign, to generate excitement and donations:
· Community newspapers
· Metro desk of largest city newspaper
· Local news and community oriented radio stations
· Local news channels
· Cable channels operated by school system or public access channels
3. Partner with local branches of public library
· Have young adult librarians come to the school to give booktalks
· Have library create a section of showcased reading material for student patrons
· Include campaign information in library newsletters and website
4. Get support of local business for prize and cash donations as well as guidance/advice. Request a “% of proceeds” day or night at restaurants, bookstores and other retail.
o Restaurants
o Movie theaters
o Bookstores
o Gyms
o Doctor, dentist offices
o Law firms, accounting firms
o Video production and editing companies
o PR firms
o Advertising agencies
o Graphic Design firms
5. Partner with local universities that have library schools (in this area, Univ of Maryland, Catholic Univ and UTenn DE, at minimum)
· Try to get a student to do a practicum supporting the campaign
· Get MLS students in YA Literature courses (and other relevant courses) to come to the school and give booktalks
6. Partner with local university and community colleges
Contact the faculty members in education departments. Get students in education program to support campaign. They can volunteer in library to work with clubs, assist with page count tracking, etc.
7. Contact local sports teams.
Try to get an athlete to come to the school and give booktalk, or donate to support campaign.
8. Work with local school board member to promote awareness of campaign in community.
This was one of the short articles in an online newsletter that Fairfax County Public Schools sends to parents....It highlights another way to reach potential partners.(Tina)
FCPS Invites Businesses, Community Organizations to Explore Five Ways to Partner With Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools is encouraging local businesses and community organizations to check out five ways to partner with the school system in an effort to support students individually and on a larger scale.FCPS announces the Give Me Five! initiative, offering a number of ways for businesses, organizations, and individuals to benefit students and schools:
- Mentor a child. Mentors commit to working with a student for one hour, once a week, throughout the school year and are placed with a student close to the mentors' homes or offices. Training and support is offered to all potential mentors.
- Partner with a school. A business or organization can establish a partnership with one school and have the option to expand the relationship to mutually benefit both partners. Some schools have had the same business partner for more than 20 years.
- Serve as a systemwide partner. Partnering at the school system level can affect students throughout FCPS and often targets a specific curricular focus that can enhance a business’s workforce development.
- Support an existing partnership. Individuals, companies, and organizations can donate items, volunteer, or provide funding to any number of existing partnerships and programs.
- Develop or advance an educational initiative. Initiatives come from inside and outside the school system, support cutting-edge learning, and help develop future employees.
For additional information about partnering with FCPS, contact Jay Garant at 571-423-1209 or jpgarant@fcps.edu. For more information about serving as a mentor, contact Shelley Prince at 571-423-4403 or rrprince@fcps.edu.Visit http://www.fcps.edu/cco/bcp/index.htm for more information about business and community partnerships in FCPS.
Video: Five Ways to Partner With FCPS
Applicable standards--Kelly
I forgot to ask -- why 10th grade? I am not in any way objecting to it or suggesting we pick another grade-level, but we need to give Welch our rationale.Standard 1: Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge
1.1.1: Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real-world connection for using this process in own life.
Grade 10 Benchmark:
*With guidance use an inquiry-based process for expanding content knowledge, connecting academic learning with the real world and pursuing personal interests.
Standard 2: Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge t new situation, and create new knowledge.
2.1.3: Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real-world situation, and further investigation.
Grade 10 Benchmark:
*Apply strategies for making personal and real world connections with information.
Standard 3: Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.
3.1.2: Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners.
Grade 10 Benchmark:
*Seek ideas and opinions from others.
Standard 4: Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.
4.1.1: Read, view and listen for pleasure and personal growth.
Grade 10 Benchmarks:
*Read, listen to, and view information in a variety of format to explore new ideas, form opinions, and solve problems.
*Seek and locate information about personal interests, applying the same criteria and strategies used for academic information seeking.
4.1.2: Read widely and fluently to make connections with self, the world, and previous reading.
Grade 10 Benchmarks:
*Recognize and evaluate the author’s point of view and how it affects that text; consider and evaluate alternative perspectives.
*Read books that connect to real-world issues.
*Recognize similarities and differences among authors writing on the same theme.
*Recognize how their own points of view influence perspectives on text.
4.1.3: Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres.
Grade 10 Benchmarks:
*Assess the emotional impact of specific works on eh reader of viewer.
*Apply ideas gained from literary and artistic works to their own lives.
4.1.4: Seek information for personal learning in a variety of formats and genres.
Grade 10 Benchmarks:
*Select print, nonprint, and digital materials based on personal interests and knowledge of authors.
*Select resources on topics of interest at both comfortable and challenging levels of comprehension
*Read a variety of fiction and nonfiction, including works of international authors and authors outside students own cultures.
*Set reading goals and maintain personal reading lists.
4.1.5: Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience.
Grade 10 Benchmarks:
*Use context and graphic clues to aid understanding
*Compare new ideas and understandings to future needs and interests that relate to college, careers, and personal lives.
4.1.8: Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.
Grade 10 Benchmark:
*Express their own ideas through creative products in a variety of formats.
Collection Development recommendations--Kelly
Million Words Project
Collection Development recommendations
TOTAL COST: $4526.61
http://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/books/library.dT/high
Advanced Readers, Grades 6-9
Advanced Readers +
Fantasy Middle/High
Graphic Novels
Mystery Middle/High
Nonfiction Middle/High
Sports Middle/High
Young Adults
Young Adults +
History High
High Interest High
Paperbacks High
Mature Young Adults
Timeline for 1,000,000,000 Word Campaign--Rebekah
March 2011
Get commitment of school administrative team
Contact local universities to set up practicums for 2011/2012 academic year
Begin making request to staff, student, and parents for book donations to supply reading bins. (Could we ask the PTSA to coordinate this? It strikes me that random books dropped in could lead to some "interesting" items and if we shift the burden of responsibility onto PTSA, we limit our liability. . .)
April and May of 2011
Contact Potential External Partners to line up support and contributions needed for next year.
· Public libraries
· Theme Park—Discounted or bulk rate passes for May 2012 -- or just ask for the park to be donated during a day in May after SOLs and AP tests?
Continue making requests to staff, faculty, and parents for book donations to supply reading bins.
Look into applications for tracking word counts
Catch students and staff members reading and photograph—to be used in first Animoto slideshow?
Identify a couple clubs or teams to take on Club/Team Week for the first few weeks of school. Could we get the Football team to be 1st or 2nd on deck?
Speak with core teachers and staff (ITRT, Marketing, English) that are necessary for the success of the program to ensure they buy-in and are willing to lend support
Communicate with JAG time teachers (If we follow Fairfax County's model, these would be US, the instructional aides, and music/sports faculty and staff. We'll also want to talk with School Security about their role.)
Place collection development book order
August 2011—Before School Work Days
Contact external partners as necessary.
Ensure sponsorship is acknowledged and promoted.
Confirm news coverage scheduling.
Generate marketing materials, include sponsor information
Continue making requests to staff, faculty, and parents for book donations to supply reading bins.
Generate Grand prize nomination rules and forms (What's our budget for the live event? Do we want to get donations for performer's fees from local music venues - who may want something from us -- or do we ask a large local business, like a bank, for $X to cover it?)
Produce tracking plan to track the amount students read
Kick off meeting with administration and staff to introduce 100,000,000 Word Campaign
Start the staff favorites effort.
Create a graphic tracker for each academy for the entry way of the school
Subscribe to Animoto (Animoto generates a cost after talking with the school in question. I'll email Sarah Searles and ask for her school's billed cost.)
Create word tracking tables or wiki pages
Perhaps create the first slide show using staff members or pictures taken from Spring 2011?
Ensure student media permission forms are turned in.
Ensure all technology equipment is functioning properly.
Ongoing Activities throughout 2011/2012 Academic Year
Continue making requests to staff, faculty, and parents for book donations to supply reading bins.
Reminding and following up with clubs and teams about their Club/Team Week
Practicum students tracking word counts, and perhaps the most popular materials?
Booktalks to English classes
Animoto slide shows
Student on the Street videos
Arranging for “celebrities” to share their favorite books or importance of reading in their lives
Practicum student training and involvement
September 2011
100,000,000 Words Campaign Kick Off
Jump start the grand-prize nomination campaign. (which students sit on this nomination committee?)
Encourage staff signups for the lunchtime reading table.
Contact clubs and teams about Club/Team Weeks
Schedule with English Department teachers to schedule book talks.
Schedule ITRT training on Flip Cams with A/V club students, school newspaper students, and those studying marketing and business
Continue making requests to staff, faculty, and parents for book donations to supply reading bins.
October
Vote on live event nominations (process to avoid ballot stuffing)
November 2011
Schedule live event winner or runner up
April 2012
Planning for live event
May 2012
Planning for live event
Send out permission slips for academy field trip to theme park
Tabulate and announce winning academy